Phu Quoc, Vietnam - Blogabond

It seems a little strange to go over a land border between countries. The Cambodia side was very rustic with just a one storey office prior to going through no-mans land. The Vietnamese border was a complete contrast, with a big archway emblazoned with Ha Tien International border gate. I neglected to mention in the previous blog entry that we got our Vietnam visa in Sihanoukville. This must go down on record as the fastest visa issued – literally within five minutes we had a visa printed and stuck into our passports, we couldn’t believe it.

Ha Tien Vietnamese border

We had booked a ticket in Kep that should have taken us through the border to Ha Tien and then onto a ferry to Phu Quoc. It was at the border that the guide broke the bad news that government officials had taken over the ferry that we were meant to catch. We would be making an unscheduled overnight stop in Ha Tien.
We thought we had a result when we found a hotel in Ha Tien for 15 bucks, it seemed to tick all the right boxes and seemed fairly new. Its only downside was it was near the fish market so it was a little smelly outside but, for the price, we thought we could put up with this. We looked around the town but there was little to recommend it really.
We had to be up early the following morning and just as I was nodding off to sleep, the corridor outside our room erupted with noise. It appeared as though it was being used as some form of communal meeting room for the people on our floor. In the end I had to go out and, using sign language, tell them to shut up. Eventually, the noise died down. However, at 440am the noise started again, I couldn’t believe it!! Can safely say, it was the worst night of the trip so far.
Caught the ferry to Phu Quoc the following morning feeling relatively grumpy. We were soon cheered up by the hotel, we had our own garden bungalow and the beach which fronted the resort was absolutely gorgeous. We immediately got into the swing of things and crashed out on the loungers on the beach. There were ladies that were offering massages on the beach so we couldn’t resist, the woes of Ha Tien were quickly soothed away.

Phu Quoc - Long Beach lounger

I had intended to propose to Em whilst we were away, I had been carrying a ring around since we left the UK. I didn’t know when and where I would do it but I felt that Phu Quoc was the ideal place. Trouble is when you are spending all day every day with someone, it is very difficult to organise a surprise. I managed to sneak off a couple of times, Em started to get suspicious and even asked me if I wanted some space!!

Phu Quoc - Lame Beach

I managed to arrange a boat trip where we got dropped on a private of beach for a few hours. I popped the question and Em accepted! Now, there is no need for you readers to get too excited, we haven’t set a date yet. Once we get back from lounging around, we will need to focus on practicalities of finding jobs, etc. Once we have gainful employment, we will set a date!

Phu Quoc - Lame Beach, newly engaged!

We originally booked to stay on the island for 3 nights but ended up staying a week. It was absolutely idyllic – it was the sort of place that you hope to find, quiet palm fringed beaches with clear blue water. It was really hard to pull ourselves away. Due to our extended stay in Phu Quoc and the fact that Vietnam is so long, we decided to extend our visa to give us more that the original 30 days.

Phu Quoc - Bai Sao Beach-stunning!